The 1st Doctor

Time Zone: November 23rd 1963 – October 29th 1966
Played By: William Hartnell

From the beginning, the First Doctor was a mysterious figure. He appeared to be a frail old man, and yet was possessed of unexpected reserves of strength and will. He obviously held tremendous knowledge of scientific matters, and yet was unable to pilot his TARDIS time ship reliably. He was abrasive, patronising, and cantankerous towards his human travelling companions, yet shared a deep emotional bond with his granddaughter Susan. He also harboured a streak of ruthlessness, being willing to lie — and in one case attempt to kill — to achieve his goals.

Eventually, the Doctor began to enjoy his travels through time and space, taking people along for the ride and was always reluctant and sad to see them go, even when he knew it was for their own good. The Doctor's personality began to mellow around the time of the serial Marco Polo, and he began to become the more familiar grandfatherly figure that children loved. Despite his age, the Doctor was never conservative, and was always a bit of an anti-establishment figure, opposing tyranny and overreaching authority in all its forms.